best colleges

Collegians are having to become more careful consumers, as high-quality jobs become scarce and interest rates on student loans are set to increase. A comparison of the average return on investment for over 1,200 American colleges and universities offers some clues on how to choose.

Forbes Magazine's annual ranking of the 650 best undergraduate institutions focuses on the things that matter most to students, ignoring ephemeral measures like reputation. The fundamental question: Is it worth spending as much as a quarter of a million dollars for this degree?

In an effort to be hip, the College Board asked one-third of SAT-takers this year to write an essay on whether reality TV shows are beneficial or harmful. That was a bad choice on multiple levels, and an excellent metaphor for much of what's wrong with the whole college admissions race.

The blogosphere has erupted in a fury since Villanova University Law School admitted it has been lying about the statistics of its incoming classes for years to boost its rankings. But Villanova deserves credit for coming clean, because many other universities are probably doing the same thing.

Getting a college degree in dance can easily leave an aspiring performer crushed under the heel of student loan debt -- but it doesn't have to be that way. College finance expert Zac Bissonnette points out a path around the pitfalls of a performing arts education.

The Center For College Affordability analyzed reviews of professors posted by college students on RateMyProfessors.com, and put together a list of the colleges with the worst professors, and the best. The results are surprising -- and they shouldn't impact which school you send your kids to.

By Brian Burnsed, U.S.News & World Report This year, Harvard University regained sole possession of the top spot in U.S.News & World Report's Best Colleges 2011 rankings of national universities. Last year, Harvard and Princeton University tied for first, but Princeton fell to second in...

Here's news from the business world and other money matters to watch out for Tuesday (last updated at 7:28 a.m. Eastern time): Housing Finance Reform Set To Begin: Mortgages were at the heart of the 2008 financial crisis. And despite numerous pieces of legislation that have been debated and signed...